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The Spurs were to defeat the Cavaliers on the road to put pressure on the Thunder and the Clippers in their fight for sowing. That's what they did decisively in their last game outside of the season, eliminating the home team by 112 to 90 in a match without tragedies.
The Spurs largely controlled most of the match. After a slow start, they would claim the advantage with 1:19 to go to the first quarter and never let go again. Surprisingly, they did it by doing something that they struggled to do on the road against bad teams all season: make simple games and take what defense gave them. Instead of setting up from the post, the perimeter gaming leaders simply drove, designated an additional defender and made the extra pass. Jakob Poeltl and LaMarcus Aldridge were often left open in the painting and finished well. When the Cavs started to stay on them and send an extremely weak side defender to help after the selections, the ball found its way to the shooters. The Spurs had 16 assists in the first period and shot 53% of the field. It took them some time to put in place enough stops to create a split, but they closed well the second quarter and never looked back.
To their credit, the Cavaliers, who had absolutely nothing to play, tried to adjust after the break. Their guards went under screens and the big ones fell even further on the pick and roll to prevent penetration. It worked for a few possessions until San Antonio began to understand it, with Derrick White in particular inflicting damage by walking in mid-range open riders. Unfortunately, untimely turnovers prevented the Blacks and Silver from escaping completely with this one until the fourth period, in which a 13-0 first leg sealed the win. The cleaning crew was unable to register until 5:32 pm, but Pop managed to limit DeMar DeRozan to just 32 minutes and LaMarcus Aldrdige to just under 30. Since the Spurs will have two days off, they should be fresh and ready for the last game of the season.
There is really not much to lose from these end-of-season games against opponents who play for nothing, but the Spurs must be satisfied with the way they played their last two games on the road. Their performances were surely helped by the Wizards and the Cavaliers only really exerting their energy for a few minutes, but after the fight to win matches as easy off – at least in theory – at the beginning of the year, San Antonio will happily win the victories. Now they have to beat the Mavs and hope that one of the Clippers and the Thunder, or both, will lose at least one game to have a chance to climb the leaderboard.
Game notes
- The Spurs seemed to understand how easy it would have been to score Sunday against the bad teams from the East. The key? Stay simple. Once again, the Cavaliers' disastrous defense clearly helped, but it was always fun to see the game leaders realize that if they were patient, they would find someone open and that he was not no need to push the discussion and confront each other. Better late than never. Hopefully the lesson will not be forgotten next season.
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Aldridge finished early, registering 16 points to rebound with 13 rebounds in the first half, while DeRozan was the creator, totaling six assists in the first two quarters for a single turnover. The two stars did the most damage before the break, but set the tone for the offensive. It was exactly what they needed.
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Bryn Forbes and Jakob Poeltl were everywhere, at both ends, in the first minutes. They both had buckets and played with a lot of energy in defense. The Spurs will need those two to qualify in the playoffs, otherwise the starting lineup may have difficulty. They just need to lose open fire and play hard at the other end. They did it against the Cavs.
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Derrick White does not take anyone by surprise. The opponents now know how to defend it: go under the screens and dare to shoot it. The Cavaliers followed this scenario and it worked until they gave him too much room in the third quarter. White is not comfortable shooting constantly beyond the bow, but as soon as he can take a few steps towards the basket, he is threatened halfway. He will have to be aggressive looking for that shot in the playoffs if his opponents continue to space him out.
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Patty Mills and Davis Bertans hit their shots. Good things tend to happen to the Spurs when they do it. Unfortunately, they were both better beyond the bow earlier in the season, and Bertans in particular has seen a rapid decline in its effectiveness since the All-Star break. Hope this game will help restore his confidence. The Spurs need their shooters.
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Lonnie Walker IV got the minutes from Marco Belinelli in the first half and showed himself well. He is disruptive in defense and shows signs of prowess. Hopefully, he'll make a white jump as a sophomore, assuming he can carve out a spot for him on the big team next season after spending most of his rookie season in Austin.
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Channing Frye retires without ever dressing for the Spurs, which seems a little strange. A veteran of the great shooter who is a fantastic teammate, in every way, looks like someone Pop would have liked to have out of the seat. What other veterans who have never played in San Antonio feel extremely spurs for you? Outside of Frye, I'd say Robin Lopez and Trevor Ariza. Maybe Nene? Let me know.
Up next: Vs. Dallas Wednesday
The Spurs will close the season at home against the Mavs for what could be Dirk Nowitzki's last match in the NBA. They may need to win to climb the rankings. Should be fun.
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